Background
Methods
Study areas
Field study design and blood sampling
Laboratory examination of slides
Statistical analyses
Prevalence of signs and symptoms at the different study sites of the altitudinal transect
| |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Syndromes
|
Santchou (750 m)
|
Dschang (1400 m)
|
Djuttitsa (1965 m)
| ||||||
PPP (No P)
|
PNP (No P)
|
Comparison
|
PPP (No P)
|
PNP (No P)
|
Comparison
|
PPP (No P)
|
PNP (No P)
|
Comparison
| |
Fever* | 71.18 | 49.63 |
χ
2 = 25.23 | 74.94 | 40.21 |
χ
2 = 15.33 | 74.43 | 30.22 |
χ
2 = 11 .23 |
p ≤ 10−5
| p ≤ 10−5
| p ≤ 10−5
| |||||||
Average temperature | 38.6 (341) | 36.7 (336) | t = 9.76 | 38.7 | 37,3 | t = 11.76 | 39.2 (169) | 37,1 (567) | t = 13.02 |
p = 0.04 | p = 0.02 | p = 0.01 | |||||||
(SG) | (966) | (1462) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||
Headache* | 36.7 (245) | 12.5 (432) |
χ
2 = 54.83 | 19.90 (608) | 1.70 (1820) |
χ
2 = 257.19 | 31.91 (141) | 3.53 (595) |
χ
2 = 112.51 |
p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−7
| |||||||
(SG) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Joint pains* | 27.35 (245) | 13.89 (432) |
χ
2 = 18.58 | 26.32 (608) | 1.81 (1820) |
χ
2 = 373.95 | 31.21 (141) | 4.20 (595) |
χ
2 = 97.84 |
p ≤ 10−5
| p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−7
| |||||||
(SG) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Abdominal pains* | 19.18 (245) | 49.07 (432) |
χ
2 = 11.07 | 24.34 (608) | 3.79 (1820) |
χ
2 = 236.50 | 17.73 (141) | 6.39 (595) |
χ
2 = 18.74 |
p ≤ 10−4
| p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−5
| |||||||
(SG) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Convulsion* | 4.08 (245) | 0.93 (432) |
χ
2 = 7.69 | 0.66 (608) | 0.05 (1820) |
χ
2 = 8.06 | 1.42 (141) | 0.34 (595) |
χ
2 = 7.69 |
p ≤ 10−3
| p ≤ 0.02 | p ≤ 10−3
| |||||||
(SG) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Nausea* | 6.53 (245) | 2.78 (432) |
χ
2 = 4.66 | 0.99 (608) | 0.22 (1820) |
χ
2 = 6.54 | 0.71 (141) | 0.34 (595) |
χ
2 = 4.66 |
p ≤ 0.02 | p ≤ 0.02 | p ≤ 0.02 | |||||||
(SG) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Asthenia | 23.27 (245) | 20.37 (432) |
χ
2 = 0.78 | 8.22 (608) | 1.65 (1820) |
χ
2 = 61.84 | 13.48 (141) | 2.02 (595) |
χ
2 = 37.09 |
p ≤ 0.38 | p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−7
| |||||||
(NS) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Anorexia | 20.00 (245) | 18.52 (432) |
χ
2 = 0.22 | 18.09 (608) | 1.92 5 (1820) |
χ
2 = 212.19 | 11.35 (141) | 2.02 (595) |
χ
2 = 27.12 |
p ≤ 0.64 | p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 10−7
| |||||||
(NS) | (SG) | (SG) | |||||||
Constipation | 1.22 (245) | 7.17 (432) |
χ
2 = 11.61 | 1.64 (608) | 0.82 (1820) |
χ
2 = 3.01 | 2.13 (141) | 0.34 (595) |
χ
2 = 5.42 |
p ≤ 10−4
| p ≤ 0.08 | p ≤ 10−4
| |||||||
(SG) | (NS) | (SG) | |||||||
Diarrhoea | 2.45 (245) | 16.90 (432) |
χ
2 = 31.67 | 1.15 (608) | 1.00 (1820) |
χ
2 = 0.12 | 2.13 (141) | 2.52 (595) |
χ
2 = 31.67 |
p ≤ 10−7
| p ≤ 0.73 | p ≤ 10−7
| |||||||
(SG) | (NS) | (SG) | |||||||
Vomiting | 4.90 (245) | 7.41 (432) |
χ
2 = 1.62 | 3.29 (608) | 1.00 (1820) |
χ
2 = 15.66 | 1.42 (141) | 2.69 (595) |
χ
2 = 1.62 |
p ≤ 0.20 | p ≤ 10−5
| p ≤ 0.20 | |||||||
(NS) | (SG) | (NS) | |||||||
Itches | 0.41 (245) | 2.31 (432) |
χ
2 = 3.56 | 0.80 (608) | 0.38 (18200 |
χ
2 = 0.04 | 0.71 (141) | 0.50 (595) |
χ
2 = 3.56 |
p ≤ 0.06 | p ≤ 0.85 | p ≤ 0.06 | |||||||
(NS) | (NS) | (NS) | |||||||
Dizziness | 1.63 (245) | 3.70 (4320) |
χ
2 = 2.34 | 2.80 (608) | 0.77 (1820) |
χ
2 = 14.85 | 2.13 (141) | 0.50 (595) |
χ
2 = 2.34 |
p ≤ 0.13 | p ≤ 10−4
| p ≤ 0.13 | |||||||
(NS) | (SG) | (NS) |
Ethical issues
Results
Plasmodium infection rate and malaria infectious reservoir along the transect
Plasmodium falciparum
infections*
| |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Localities (Altitude)
|
Number of outpatients examined
|
Asexual parasite prevalence
|
Sexual parasite prevalence
|
Mixed infections
|
Overall parasite prevalence
|
(MD ± SD)
|
(MD ± SD)
|
(No of patients)
|
(MD ± SD)
| ||
Santchou (750 m) | 677 | 36.19%a
| 2.07%a
| 1.03% | 38.26%a
|
(14569 ± 1786) | (25.4 ± 5.5) | (n =7) | (14597 ± 2407) | ||
Dschang (1400 m) | 2428 | 25.04%b
| 0.45% a
| 0.33% | 25.49%b
|
(11553 ± 1548) | (44.0 ± 3.2) | (n =8) | (11599 ± 1868) | ||
Djuttitsa (1965 m) | 736 | 19.16%c
| 1.08% a
| 0.00% | 20.24%c
|
(6234 ± 1425) | (26.0 ± 2.9) | (n =0) | (6262 ± 1125) | ||
Total | 3841 | 25.88% | 0.86% | 0.39% | 26.74% |
(14954 ± 3835) | (29.4 ± 3.7) | (n =15) | (14983 ± 3845) |
Malaria syndrome
Distribution of Plasmodium infections among population ages at each altitudinal level
Seasonal variations of Plasmodium infection and human malaria infectious reservoir
The fraction of Plasmodium-infected patients among the symptomatic subjects
Localities (Altitude)
|
Number of symptomatic patients (%)
|
Plasmodium
infections among the febrile outpatients examined
| |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asexual parasite prevalence
|
Sexual parasite prevalence
|
Mixed infections
|
Overall parasite prevalence (MAFE)*
| ||
(MD ± SD)
|
(MD ± SD)
|
(No of patients)
|
(MD ± SD)
| ||
Santchou (750 m) | 341a
| 71.18% | 8.21% | 2.32% | 77.07%a
|
(50.37%)a
| (14569 ± 11786) | (25.43 ± 5.49) | (n =8) | (14597 ± 8407) | |
Dschang (1400 m) | 966b
| 74.94% | 1.14% | 0.21% | 75.81%a
|
(39.78%)b
| (11553 ± 1548) | (44.00 ± 3.23) | (n =2) | (11599 ± 10868) | |
Djuttitsa (1965 m) | 169c
| 74.43% | 4.7% | 0.00% | 78.13%a
|
(22.96%)c
| (6234 ± 11425) | (26.00 ± 2.91) | (n =0) | (6262 ± 8125) | |
Total | 1476 | 73.89% | 3.18% | 0.68% | 77.07% |
(38.43%) | (14954 ± 13835) | (29.36 ± 3.72) | (n =10) | (14983 ± 13845) |